Lech

December to April is ski season. Snow is usually reliable, and the area is known for deep powder. June to September is best for hiking, though many lifts run only part of the season. May and October–November are quiet. Winters are cold and snowy.

• Gotikkirche Hl. Nikolaus is the old parish church of the village, with a Gothic core.
• Huber Hus is a historic wooden house of Lech's Walser settlers.
• Valluga is the highest peak of the Arlberg lift system, with views and a cable car from the St. Anton side.
• Zürser See is a lake above Zürs, with a short walk around it.
• Flexenpass is a mountain pass between Lech and Warth, on the Flexen road.
• Bergkirche Zürs is the mountain church of Zürs.
• Roggalspitze is a peak on a summer hike.
• Waldbad Lech is an outdoor pool in the village.

• Ski the White Ring circuit around the Arlberg.
• Ride the Rüfikopf cable car.
• Walk to the Zürs lake.
• Hike a summer trail to a hut.
• Join a guided off-piste day.

• St. Anton is a major ski village, about 25 minutes by bus or by lift in winter.
• Schruns is a Montafon village, about 1 hour by car.
• Bregenz is a lake town on Lake Constance, about 1 hour 30 minutes by car.
• Feldkirch is a medieval town, about 1 hour 15 minutes by car.
• The Bregenzerwald, a green valley with farms and cheese dairies, is nearby.

• St. Anton is the closest preferred village, and is linked by lift.

• By air: Innsbruck, Zurich and Friedrichshafen are the nearest airports, 1.5 to 2.5 hours away.
• By train: The closest station is Langen am Arlberg or St. Anton. A bus runs on to Lech. Check times on ÖBB.
• By car: The Flexen road links Lech to the Arlberg road. It can close in heavy snow.

The village is small, with a free ski bus in winter. Lifts connect Lech, Zürs, Zug and Oberlech. Buses connect the villages in summer.

A car is not needed in winter. The Flexen road and the Arlberg pass can close in heavy snow. Winter tyres or chains are required. Motorways in Austria need a vignette.

Vorarlberg food mixes Alpine and Alemannic traditions. Try Käsknöpfle, small cheese dumplings, and Riebel, a corn dish. Dairy farms sell alpine cheese. The village has many fine restaurants.

Lech is very safe. Avalanche risk is real off-piste, so check bulletins and use a guide. Tap water is clean and safe to drink. The emergency number is 112. The mountain rescue number is 140.

Lech was settled in the 14th century by Walser farmers from Valais. It stayed a poor mountain village until skiing arrived in the 1920s. The Arlberg lifts opened in the 1930s and the village grew into a luxury resort.

Quick practical facts for Austria at a glance: